A unitary wire mesh strip, bonded to lingual tooth surfaces, has been employed as an anterior splint to stabilize one or more loose teeth. Such strips are disposed on the lingual surfaces for aesthetic purposes. Because of the wire mesh strip location and the small working space, proper installation of the wire mesh has proven difficult. The dentist has had to manipulate the wire mesh into crowded, irregularly shaped interproximal spaces. The failure to obtain deep interproximal tucking of the wire mesh results in a less durable anterior splint. The second problem with the wire mesh strip splint is that labial movement of the loose tooth often causes peeling away from the bonded mesh, since the mesh strip bonding to the tooth is perpendicular to anterior-posterior movement of the tooth.
The invention described herein overcomes the problems discussed above, both as to installation and permanent disposition. With the present invention the dentist can tuck the mesh deep into an interproximal space by pulling labially on the mesh. Better overall fit of the mesh is achieved by allowing tucking and stretching of the mesh during installation by labial pulling from two different adjacent interproximal spaces. After proper adaptation and fit of the mesh is achieved, each tab is permanently bonded in an interproximal space, and the excess tab removed. The tab then acts as a labial stabilizer for the tooth to prevent anterior-posterior movement that would cause peeling.